Poinsettia plant named Marjo White

ABSTRACT

A Poinsettia plant named Marjo White particularly described by its white bracts with green midveins, compact and freely branching habit, eight week flowering response, ability to be finished at cool night temperatures of 55° to 58° F., good post production longevity, and its resistance to bruising during shipping.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant known by the cultivar name Marjo White and botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima. This naturally occurring sport of Marjo Charm was first observed by me in the greenhouses of my business, James White Florist, Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, in 1985. It was propagated asexually by me in 1986 and flowered for two years to confirm its phenotypic stability. The parent cultivar Marjo Charm is disclosed in my pending plant patent application.

Asexual reproduction by terminal cuttings taken at West Chicago, Ill. has also established that the unique features of Marjo White are stabilized and are reproduced true to type in successive propagations.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Marjo White which in combination distinguish this Poinsettia from both its parent Marjo Charm and other cultivated Poinsettias of this type known and used in the floriculture industry.

1. Marjo White has white bracts with green midveins similar to Peace Frost. Marjo Charm has pink and white bicolored bracts.

2. Marjo White is more compact than Peace Frost. Marjo White's leaf color and plant form are similar to Marjo Charm.

3. Marjo White is freely branching with five to seven branches upon pinching.

4. Marjo White is an eight week cultivar, flowering one week earlier than Peach Frost (9 week response). Marjo White flowers at the same time as Marjo Charm.

5. Marjo White has cyathia that abscise earlier than Peace Frost.

6. Marjo White can be finished at a cool night temperature of 55° to 58° F.

7. Marjo White has good post-production longevity and is resistant to bruising during shipping.

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of this cultivar, showing colors as true as reasonably possible to obtain in a colored reproduction of this type.

Marjo White has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength.

The following is a detailed description of my new Poinsettia cultivar, Marjo White, based on plants produced under commercial practice in West Chicago, Ill., in a glass covered greenhouse with day temperatures of 70° to 76° F. and night temperatures of 60° to 65° F.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Classification:

A. Botanical.--Euphorbia pulcherrima.

B. Commercial.--Poinsettia.

Parentage: Naturally occurring sport of Marjo Charm.

Propagation:

A. Type cutting.--Terminal.

B. Time to initiate roots.--9 days at 75° F. summer; 12 days at 70° F. winter.

C. Rooting habit.--Excellent; well branched.

Plant description:

A. Form.--Freely branching, upright.

B. Habit of growth.--Compact.

C. Foliage description.--1. Size: Length, 8 to 11 cm; width, 6 to 8 cm. 2. Shape: Ovate-elliptic, some fiddle-shaped, tips acuminate. 3. Texture: Smooth. 4. Margin: Entire to lobed (fiddle-shaped). 5. Color: Mature foliage, upper surface 147A; lower surface 147B. Young foliage, upper surface 147B; lower surface 147C.

Flowering description:

A. Flowering habits.--Many cyathia within inflorescences that are arranged as an umbel-like cyme. Large showy bracts.

B. Natural flowering season.--Eight week cultivar, flowering naturally the second week of November.

C. Bracts.--1. Shape: Ovate with entire, sinnuate or repand margin. 2. Size: Length, 8 to 11 cm; width, 6 to 8 cm. 3. Number: Ranges from 15 to 20 per inflorescence. 4. Color: Upper surface, mature, 157C. Lower surface, mature, 157D.

D. Cyathia.--1. General description: Initially three main flowering stems with subsequent lateral cyathia development. 2. Borne: Singly in an upright arrangement as an umbel-like cyme. 3. Quantity: Average quantity; may abscise prematurely. 4. Color: 5D.

Reproductive organs: Typical for Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivars, not significant.

Disease resistance: No fungal or bacterial problems observed to date. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named Marjo White, as illustrated and described. 